Asylum Seekers

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what medical help is available to asylum seekers in the United Kingdom.

Baroness Neville-Jones: Under National Health Service (NHS) regulations, anyone who has made a formal application for asylum in the UK is eligible for both primary and secondary NHS treatment free of charge until a final decision is made on their claim and any appeal rights have been exhausted.

Asylum Seekers

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what medical help is available to asylum seekers due for deportation from the United Kingdom.

Baroness Neville-Jones: Asylum seekers are not removed until their case has been finally determined and it has been decided that they are not in need of protection. Failed asylum seekers whose removal is pending can access primary health care free of charge but may be charged for some secondary healthcare.

Business Payment Support Scheme

Lord Newby: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money owed under the Business Payment Support Scheme has been written off in each year since its establishment.

Lord Sassoon: Since its launch in November 2008, to the end of December 2010, some 395,400 arrangements were granted through the Business Payment Support Scheme, involving £6.83 billion of tax. £5.87 billion of this has already been paid over to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
	HMRC publishes details of revenue losses in its annual accounts and collects almost all tax debt, with write-offs being relatively low. The most recent accounts for 2009-10 can be found at: www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/hmrc-accs-0910.pdf.

Census

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the details of the 2011 Census will be made available to all member states of the European Union.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, Director General for ONS, to Lord Stoddart of Swindon, dated February 2011.
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking whether the details of the 2011 Census will be made available to all members of the European Union. [CO] HL6704
	Under the provisions of Regulation (EC) No. 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 on population and housing censuses, the UK and all other member states are required to make available to Eurostat, by the end of March 2014, a set of standardised statistical outputs derived from a census or comparable statistical sources relating to the year 2011. The specific form and content of these tabulations are set out in two Commission Regulations, (EC) No. 1201/2009 of 30 November 2009 and (EU) No. 519/2010 of 16 June 2010. The National Statistician will use statistical data from the 2011 Census to meet this obligation on behalf of the UK.
	No personal census information will released either to Eurostat or any member state.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many NHS chronic fatigue syndrome service centres are fully functional; what percentage of patients referred with ME/CFS are subsequently found to have fatigue associated with other chronic conditions; and what measures are in place to ensure that patients with chronic fatigue are effectively screened for other relatively rare diseases before they are given a diagnosis of ME/CFS.

Earl Howe: Information on the number of fully functioning National Health Service chronic fatigue services centres is not collected centrally.
	The department does not collect the requested information on those people attending chronic fatigue syndrome centres.
	The guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence states that a positive diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis should be made after other known causes for the symptoms have been excluded.

Education: ESOL

Baroness Sharp of Guildford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many adults studying English for Speakers of Other Languages courses are (a) women, and (b) men; and how many in each category have been on (1) active benefits, and (2) inactive benefits, in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Baroness Wilcox: Table 1 shows the total number of adults (aged 19+ years) participating on English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses, and the percentage of all ESOL learners who were female and male for the academic years 2007-08 to 2009-10.
	
		
			 Table 1: Adult learner (aged 19+ years) participation on ESOL courses, and the percentage of all age ESOL participation by gender, 2007-08 to 2009-10. 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 (Near Final Data) 
			 ESOL participation (19+) 203,200 197,100 187,000 
			 Female ESOL participation (16+) 66.2% 66.4% 66.0% 
			 Male ESOL participation (16+) 33.8% 33.6% 34.0% 
		
	
	Source: Individualised Learner Record
	Notes:
	(1) This data cover participation in Learner Responsive, Apprenticeships, Train to Gain, Adult Safeguarded Learning and University for Industry provision. Further Education/Learner Responsive provision includes General Further Education Colleges including Tertiary, Sixth Form Colleges-Agricultural and Horticultural Colleges and Art and Design Colleges, Specialist Colleges and External Institutions.
	(2) Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Percentages are calculated on pre-rounded data.
	(3) Age is based on age as of the 31 August 2008.
	(4) The figures for total adult ESOL participation include learners aged 19 years and over. A small number of learners with an unknown age are also included.
	(5) The percentage figures for male and female participation are based on all age ESOL participation.
	We do not directly record in the system what type of benefits people are receiving when they take up training. We do, however, collect information on why a learner has received fee remission for any learning they undertake. From this data we can provide some information on claimants but this should be used with caution given that it neither provides an accurate picture about the level of learners who are also benefit claimants nor what other learning and/or benefit entitlements that person might also have. Using the fees waived field, we can say for the 2009-10 academic year that 71,000 learners studying ESOL claimed fee remission as they were in receipt of an income-related benefit, and 14,000 learners claimed fee remission as they were in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance. A further 10,700 learners in 2009-10 studied ESOL through the Employability Skills Programme, where provision is made available to Jobcentre Plus customers aged 18 or over with basic skills needs.
	Information on participation on ESOL courses is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 27 January 2010 at www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current.

EU: Budget

Lord Campbell of Alloway: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sassoon on 25 January (WA 137), whether they will publish the results of the vote at the ECOFIN Council on 15 February on a recommendation to the European Parliament on whether or not to grant discharge of the European Union budget.

Lord Sassoon: It is customary for the Government to issue post-Council Statements to both Houses. In the event that a formal vote is held at the 15 February ECOFIN on the council recommendation to the European Parliament, the outcome of this vote will be reflected in the Government's post-Council statement.

Health: Accident and Emergency

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether accident and emergency departments will be affected by spending cuts.

Earl Howe: Funding for the National Health Service is not being cut. In October, the Government announced that health funding will grow in real terms during this Spending Review for the years 2011-12 to 2014-15.
	However, the Government have been clear that, in order to continue to meet rising demands and to improve outcomes for patients, efficiency improvements of up to £20 billion will be required over the next four years. In order to deliver better quality and more efficient services for patients, some changes to the ways in which services are delivered will be required and it will be for the NHS locally to determine how best services, including accident and emergency services, are designed and provided to meet the needs of their patients.
	The Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2011-12, published in December 2010, made clear that any changes to the way services are delivered must be consistent with the four key tests for service reconfigurations set out by the Secretary of State for Health in May 2010. These are:
	support from general practitioner commissioners;strengthened public and patient engagement;clarity on the clinical evidence base; andconsistency with current and prospective patient choice.

Health: Mixed-sex Wards

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their definition of a mixed ward in a hospital.

Earl Howe: A mixed-sex ward accommodates both men and women, yet can provide single-sex accommodation.
	The Government's aim is to eliminate mixed-sex accommodation, rather than mixed-sex wards.
	The focus on accommodation is reflected in the requirements stemming from the two most recent Operating Frameworks for the National Health Service in England (2010-11 and 2011-12).
	During this time, policy and guidance has been consistent-that good levels of privacy and dignity can be provided in a variety of ways. Specifically, single-sex accommodation can be provided in:
	single-sex accommodation within mixed wards, (ie bays or rooms which accommodate either men or women, not both);single rooms with adjacent single-sex toilet and washing facilities (preferably en-suite); andsingle-sex wards (ie the whole ward is occupied by men or women but not both).

Higher Education: Fee Remission

Baroness Sharp of Guildford: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the proposal to restrict fee remission for adult education courses to certain benefit claimants, as detailed on page 10 of the Skills for Sustainable Growth executive summary, was not included in the Skills for Sustainable Growth consultation on the future of skills policy issued in July 2010; and what modelling they have conducted into the effect of that proposal on the ability of adults from each socio-economic group to access education and training.

Baroness Wilcox: The decision to retain full funding for individuals on Jobseekers Allowance and Employment Support Allowance (Work Related Activity Group) was taken as part of the Spending Review process which was announced on October 20 2010. Skills for Sustainable Growth: a consultation on the future direction of skills policy ran for 12 weeks, from 22 July to 14 October 2010 and was intended as a broad outline of principles that would guide the coalition's skills strategy and did not include specific policy recommendations.
	In the academic year 2011-12, all adults will be able to get their first level 2 qualification fully funded and those aged 19 up to 25 will in addition be able to get their first full level 3 qualification fully funded. The Skills Strategy announced that subject to legislation, from 2012-13 the entitlement will change to full funding for first qualifications at levels 2 and 3 for people aged 19 up to 24 years old only. Adults of any age will still be eligible for fully funded tuition in basic literacy and numeracy irrespective of whether or not they are on benefits.
	A full equality impact assessment was carried out and published alongside the Skills Strategy in November 2010.

Higher Education: Graduates

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the finding that one in five students left university without a job last year.

Lord Henley: The economic recession hit graduates hard and finding a job has been more difficult than it should be. That is why we are making sure all universities focus on the employability of their students, and we are working with employers to encourage work experience and graduate internships. The latest survey by graduate recruiters shows some improvement and suggests graduates will benefit as the labour market improves.
	The ONS data published last week does not actually indicate that one in five students left university without a job last year. The statistics take account of all those who graduated in the past two years and who are active; ie, either employed or ILO unemployed. Inactive includes those that go on to do further study.
	Taking full-time first degree graduates (UK and EU-domiciled) who qualified from UK HEIs in 2008-09, six months later (in January 2010) 10 per cent of them were classified as unemployed. This compares with 9 per cent for 2007-08 graduates, and 6 per cent for 2006-07 graduates). [DLHE 2008/09]

House of Lords: Overnight Sittings

Lord Morris of Manchester: To ask the Chairman of Committees, further to his Written Answer on 27 January (WA 200), what is the length of the rolling period over which allowances are calculated; and what he estimates the overnight sitting would have cost in terms of staff overtime if it had happened in the previous rolling period.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: The level of the night allowance is calculated on the basis of a five-year rolling period, taking into account the hours the House sat during that period. The figure is recalculated on 1 April each year. The effect of the recent overnight sitting will be included in the calculations scheduled to take place on 1 April this year, since those calculations will take into account the sitting patterns of the House over the year since 1 April 2010. The current level of the allowance is not affected by the recent overnight sitting because it is based on the previous period.
	Figures for overtime paid on 17 and 18 January this year will be available in late February.

Immigration

Lord Adonis: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to replace the International Passenger Survey with an immigration accounting mechanism, as recommended in the 13th Special Report of 2007-08 of the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee, published on 18 September 2008.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, Director General for ONS, to Lord Adonis, dated February 2011.
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the plans are to replace the International Passenger Survey with an immigration accounting mechanism, as recommended in the 13th Special Report of 2007-08 of the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee, published on 18 September 2008 (HL6652).
	In 2009, ONS implemented major changes to the International Passenger Survey (IPS) in line with the recommendations of the TSC report. These changes have delivered material improvements to the reliability of the migrant sample. ONS have no plans to replace the IPS as it is also used for tourism statistics and the balance of payments travel account.
	ONS is working closely with the Home Office and the UK Border Agency to determine how to deliver statistical benefits from the e-Borders Programme. However, given the timescales needed to achieve the required level of coverage, these benefits are not expected to be realised before 2015.

Immigration: Deportation

Lord Dubs: To ask Her Majesty's Government why Brenda Namigadde is not covered by their stated policy that they will not deport individuals who are at risk of persecution because they are gay or will be treated as gay.

Baroness Neville-Jones: Ms Namigadde's case has been carefully considered by both the UK Border Agency and the courts on three separate occasions and she has been found not to have a right to remain here. An immigration judge found on the evidence before them that Ms Namigadde is not homosexual.

Industrial Tribunals

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (a) single, and (b) multiple, cases were lodged with industrial tribunals in the last three years; and how many of each type of case involved staff who were in the particular employment for between one and two years.

Lord McNally: The Tribunals Service publishes statistics annually and quarterly, including information on the types of claims made to employment tribunals. The table below sets out the number of claims accepted by employment tribunals during each of the last three complete financial years.
	The Tribunals Service does not hold information centrally on the claimants' length of service as there is no business need to do so. The information can only be provided at a disproportionate cost by manually checking each individual case file. Even then, the data contained in case files may not necessarily identify the length of service as the disclosure of this information is not mandatory.
	
		
			 Claims accepted by Employment Tribunals 1 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 
			 Total Claims Accepted2 189,300 151,000 236,100 
			 Singles 54,500 62,400 71,300 
			 Multiples 134,800 88,700 164,800 
		
	
	(1) Figures are rounded independently and thus may not add to totals.
	(2) A claim can contain a number of grounds, known as jurisdictional complaints. In any hearing, the tribunal has to decide upon the merits of the claim made under each jurisdiction.

Ivory Coast

Lord Sheikh: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of claims for asylum from countries which share a border with the Ivory Coast.

Baroness Neville-Jones: The table attached shows the number of asylum applications received in the UK, excluding dependants, for nationals of Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia and Mali between 2005 and Quarter 3, 2010.
	Information on asylum applications is published monthly, quarterly and annually in the Control of Immigration bulletins and monthly asylum applications tables available from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at: www.homeoffice. gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html.
	
		
			 Asylum applications (1) received in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, 2005 to Quarter 3 2010, nationals of Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia and Mali 
			 Country of nationality 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 (P) Q1 to Q3 2010 (P) 
			 Burkina Faso 10 * 5 5 * * 
			 Ghana 230 130 120 140 140 130 
			 Guinea 165 170 120 80 115 70 
			 Liberia 175 50 40 20 15 15 
			 Mali 10 5 5 5 10 5 
			 Total 590 355 290 245 280 220 
		
	
	(1) Figures rounded to the nearest 5 (- = 0. * = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding.
	(P) Provisional figures.

Justice: Compensation

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord McNally on 1 December 2010 (WA 466), whether Annette Hewins, whose conviction was quashed on appeal, was compensated; and, if so, whether it was under Section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, under another scheme or following a civil action against the police or the Home Office.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord McNally on 1 December 2010 (WA 466), whether the "Cardiff Three" (Yusef Abdullahi, Stephen Miller and Tony Paris) were compensated under Section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, under another scheme or following a civil action against the police or the Home Office.

Lord McNally: It is the policy of the Ministry of Justice not to comment on individual applications for compensation unless the applicant has already put the matter into the public domain. The department's policy has been endorsed by the Information Commissioner. I have placed in the Library a copy of a decision by the Information Commissioner relating to a request for disclosure of similar information under the Freedom of Information Act.
	The details of Stephen Miller's compensation application and award are public knowledge because he challenged, by means of a judicial review, the amount that the independent assessor awarded him in compensation. Mr Miller was awarded compensation under the ex gratia compensation scheme which was abolished in 2006.
	I am not aware of any current civil proceedings against the Home Office or the Ministry of Justice in relation to these matters. Any civil actions against the police are a matter for individual police forces.

Northern Ireland Office: Correspondence

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what correspondence the Northern Ireland Office had with the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission in December 2010; and whether they will place copies of it in the Library of the House.

Lord Shutt of Greetland: All ministerial and official letters between the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) during December will be placed in the Library of the House.
	These are:
	letter dated 13 December 2010 from the Chief Commissioner to NIO official; letter dated 14 December 2010 from NIO official to Chief Commissioner; andletter dated 16 December 2010 from NIO Director General to Head of Corporate Services.

Office of the Chief Coroner

Lord Morris of Manchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in considering the future of the office of Chief Coroner, they will be consulting the Royal British Legion's Independent Inquest Advice service on the future of that office.

Lord McNally: I can confirm that my honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, Jonathan Djanogly, recently met Chris Simpkins, director-general of the Royal British Legion to discuss the proposed abolition of the office of Chief Coroner. My colleague the noble Lord Taylor has also met Mr Simpkins and the Government are keen to continue this welcome and productive dialogue. My officials also maintain contact with the Royal British Legion, including its independent inquest advice service, and any views expressed about the office of Chief Coroner will of course be taken into account as we take forward reform of the coroner system.

Pensions

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will hold talks with private sector pension representatives about the steps needed to promote pensions when automatic enrolment begins next year.

Lord Freud: Government are in regular contact with private sector representatives about the need to promote pension saving, for example the Minister for Pensions recently hosted a pensions round table event to discuss how to reinvigorate private pensions.
	We have established a Pensions and Retirement Saving Partnership Forum which includes private sector pension representatives. Primary objectives of the network are to help develop a more positive savings culture and communicate pension reform changes.
	Moving towards 2012, we continue to work with stakeholders through workshops, site visits and individual meetings to discuss operational processes and explore the best means of communicating effectively across employers, employees and industry groups. The full range of interested parties will be consulted throughout the development of outstanding legislation, and as we finalise our overarching communication strategy.

People Trafficking

Baroness Doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children have been identified as potential victims of trafficking by UK Border Agency staff assigned to controls at Eurostar terminals in France and Belgium.

Baroness Neville-Jones: UK Border Agency Staff at the Eurostar terminals in France and Belgium do not record potential victims of trafficking. Cases of potential child trafficking are immediately reported to the French, Belgian authorities or the police authorities to take action.

People Trafficking

Baroness Doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the work of the Metropolitan Police's Paladin team, who safeguard children at London entry ports; and whether they plan to replicate such police units across the United Kingdom.

Baroness Neville-Jones: The Government are committed to safeguarding trafficked children and combating this terrible crime. Whilst the Government have not carried out a formal assessment of the work of the Paladin team, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) have conducted an internal study of the Paladin model and how it works. The decision on whether to replicate it is an operational matter for the police.

People Trafficking

Baroness Doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what safeguards will be in place in United Kingdom ports in the lead up to and during the London Olympic and Paralympic Games to prevent children being trafficked.

Baroness Neville-Jones: The UK Border Agency works closely with the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), social services and the police to safeguard the welfare of children arriving into the UK. All frontline border force officers are trained to identify any children deemed at risk. We will continue to work collaboratively with our partners to protect children from being trafficked into the UK.
	These safeguards will continue to apply in the lead up to and during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Questions for Written Answer

Lord Jopling: To ask Her Majesty's Government why Lord Hunt of Kings Heath's Question for Written Answer HL4848, tabled on 1 December 2010, remains unanswered on 31 January; and whether the delay has involved consulting police forces on the meaning of frontline policing.

Baroness Neville-Jones: I refer my noble friend to my Answer of 8 February 2011 (Official Report, col. WA50).

Questions for Written Answer

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will answer HL4848, tabled on 1 December 2010.

Baroness Neville-Jones: I refer the noble Lord to my Answer of 8 February 2011 (Official Report, col. WA50).

Questions for Written Answer

Lord Rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Question for Written Answer on frontline police services tabled by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 1 December 2010 has not been answered.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government which government departments, including the Prime Minister's Office, and police forces, have been invited to comment on the response to be given to the Question for Written Answer on frontline police services tabled by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 1 December 2010, and to which no reply has been given; and by when they were invited to comment.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government which Minister was responsible for ensuring that the Question for Written Answer on frontline police services tabled by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 1 December 2010, and to which no reply has been given, was answered by the due date on 15 December 2010.

Baroness Neville-Jones: I refer the noble Lord to my Answer of 8 February 2011 (OfficialReport, col. WA50). This question is a matter for the Home Office and I am answering in my capacity as a Home Office Minister.

Red Squirrels

Baroness Quin: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many red squirrels there are in Kielder Forest; and what proportion of the red squirrel population in Northumberland they represent.

Lord Henley: The best available assessment is that there are between 8,000 and 9,000 red squirrels in Kielder Forest which may be around 75 per cent of the population in Northumberland. It is difficult to obtain an accurate figure as the number of squirrels per hectare varies considerably, and numbers are subject to significant fluctuation depending on environmental factors such as food supply, weather conditions and breeding success.

UK Trade and Investment: Central Asia

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the value of exports from the United Kingdom to each of the countries in central Asia, including Mongolia and the South Caucasus, in each year since 2001.

Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint: Exports of goods to selected countries recorded by HM Revenue and Customs are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 £ million 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 
			 Afghanistan 4 3 10 14 14 22 41 86 133 
			 Armenia 8 5 6 6 5 11 12 10 9 
			 Azerbaijan 37 56 140 264 213 475 240 304 271 
			 Georgia 19 17 25 47 27 38 34 38 26 
			 Kazakhstan 92 92 103 138 154 206 297 209 260 
			 Kyrgyzstan 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 5 
			 Mongolia 2 2 3 2 5 4 4 6 4 
			 Tajikistan 1 1 2 3 5 5 1 7 5 
			 Turkmenistan 7 7 7 11 14 16 17 19 28 
			 Uzbekistan 20 15 18 20 21 28 37 27 44 
		
	
	Initial data for goods exports in 2010 will be available shortly.
	Table 9.13 of the Office for National Statistics UK Balance of Payments Pink Book 2010 gives the following figures for UK exports of services to these countries.
	
		
			 £ million 2008 2009 
			 Afghanistan 58 68 
			 Armenia 7 7 
			 Azerbaijan 313 237 
			 Georgia 57 27 
			 Kazakhstan 954 797 
			 Kyrgyzstan 6 4 
			 Mongolia 7 12 
			 Tajikistan 65 5 
			 Turkmenistan 23 10 
			 Uzbekistan 18 12

Unemployment

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the latest figures for youth unemployment in Birmingham.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, Director General for ONS, to Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, dated February 2011.
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the latest figures are for youth unemployment in Birmingham (HL6536)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics in line with International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS).
	In the period July 2009 to June 2010 the number of unemployed 16 to 24 year-olds resident in Birmingham was 21,000. This equates to an unemployment rate of 25.8 per cent.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at http://www.nomisweb.co.uk.

Union Learning Fund

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Wilcox on 2 December 2010 (WA 488-90), why funding was provided through the Union Learning Fund and unionlearn for (a) the National Union of Journalists, (b) the Royal College of Midwives, and (c) the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists; what is their assessment of the analysis commissioned by the previous government in 2006 and carried out by York Consulting; and whether they will commission a further analysis.

Baroness Wilcox: All trade unions are eligible to apply for support under the Union Learning Fund (ULF) to work with employers, employees and learning providers to encourage greater take up of learning and raise skill levels in the workplace in England.
	Proposals for funding are invited each year which meet the aims and objectives of the fund and the priorities for that year which are agreed with the department. This is a competitive process and proposals are considered by the Union Learning Fund assessment panel, comprising of representatives from the department, the TUC and the Skills Funding Agency. All ULF projects are bound by contracts with defined learning targets and outcomes and are subject to independent audit.
	The National Union of Journalists, the Royal College of Midwives and the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists all made successful applications for ULF funding in 2009-10:
	funding for the National Union of Journalists was provided to develop the skills of its Union Learning representatives to work with employers to encourage workers to participate in continuing professional development in a rapidly changing industry that demands new and updated skills;the Royal College of Midwives project supported work in partnership with Heads of Midwifery and NHS Trusts to promote and develop the role of Union Learning representatives in helping develop the skills of midwives and midwife support workers, with a particular focus on supporting those hard to reach workers who have difficulty in accessing learning through traditional methods; andfunding for the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists helped to develop a continuing professional development model in partnership with employers. The project is also increasing the number of Union Learning representatives in both professions and establishing learning centres in local colleges to help provide members with the skills required to deliver the health and social care reforms.
	Evaluation and analysis of Union Learning Fund activity between 2001 and 2005 was undertaken by York Consulting in 2006. The evaluation confirmed substantial benefits for workers' skills from investment through the Union Learning Fund. A more recent evaluation of the fund from 2006 to 2009 has been undertaken by Leeds University Business School and will be published on the unionlearn website at the end of February 2011.
	The latest evaluation found that 87 per cent of employers would continue to be involved in union learning activities, with 63 per cent stating there was a benefit to the organisation and 81 per cent that there was a benefit to individuals taking part. Just over two-thirds of employers (68 per cent) reported that union-led projects resulted in employees with little history of learning taking up courses; and 71 per cent said it increased the demand for learning among those with poor basic skills. We plan to continue to evaluate and assess the performance of both unionlearn and the Union Learning Fund.